Vehicle-top.



PATE NTED MAY 17, 1904.

W. H. ZEHNBR. VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED sum. 2, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Flume/14101: 'Wil1i r'n[*f.ZhneP No. 760,366. PATENTED MAY 17, 1904.

W. H. ZEHNER.

VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED sum. 2, 1903.

ma Nonms vnsns co. PHOTO-LUNG" WASHINGTON n, cy

UNITED STATES reheated May iv, i904.

PATENT OFFICE.

VEHICLE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,366, dated May 17,1904.

Application filed September 2, 1903. Serial No. 171,677. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Znnnnma citizen of the United States,residing at Snyders, in the county of Schuylkill and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Tops,of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation'to new and useful improvements in storm-shieldattachments for vehicle-tops; and the primary object of the invention isto provide an attachment of the character mentioned which is simple inconstruction and which is especially adapted to be employed inconnection with any of the well-known forms of foldable tops.

A further object is to provide an attachment which is readily adjustableor extensible to assume a position to protect the occupant of thevehicle from storm, which is 001- lapsiblc to permit the occupant toalight, and which may be folded back out of the way when not in usewhether the top is in its elevated or lowered position without detachingthe attachment from applied position on the top.

The invention consists in providing, in combination with a vehicle-top,a folding or collapsible frame carrying a suitable stormshield, saidframe comprising a pair of bows of novel construction arranged infolding relation and .being movably connected to the top in such amanner that they may be operated. to place the shield in such a positionas to protect the occupant of the vehicle or swung backwardly to assumea position within the buggy-top when not in use.

1 have fully and clearly illustrated my in vention in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is aview in side elevation of abuggy provided with a folding top ofwellknown construction in connection with which my invention is shown inextended position. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of one of thenovel bows of which the frame for the attachment is composed. Fig. 3 isa view in side elevation of the buggy body and top, showing theattachment collapsed or folded back to permit the occupant of thevehicle to alight. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail View of one of the sidemembers of one of the bows of the attacltnnent-frame. Fig. 5 is a detaillongitudinal section through the cross member of the bow, showing themanner in which the side members are adjusted with relation to eachother. Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation, showing the attachment foldedand swung back under the top when not in use; and Fig. 7 is an enlargeddetail view showing the structure of the side members of the bowscomprising the attachment-frame.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a buggy-body provided at itsfront end portion with the usual vertical dashboard 2, the constructionof said body and dashboard being immaterial to the purposes of thisinvention. Upon the body 1 is arranged a seat 3, which is provided atthe front and rear of its side portions with the usual pivots 4: 5, uponwhich the lower ends of the frame members 6 of the top 7 are movablymounted and arranged to swing when the top is raised and lowered.

This top is of the folding type commonly employed on buggies and similarvehicles, and its particular structure forms no part of this invention,which is especially constructed to be employed in connection with alltops of the general type of structure shown.

Rigidly mounted on the front pivots 4 are forwardly projecting arms orbrackets 8, which extend a suliicient distance in front of said pivotsto permit their free ends to be out of the way of the frame members 6when the top is raised or lowered. To the free or front ends of thesearms or brackets 8 are pivotally connected the lower ends of the sidemembers of Ethe rear bow of the frame attachment; This how is composedof two side sections which are substantial duplicates in. generalstructure, each section being l -sha1 cd--that is, comprising ahorizontal member'9 and a. vertical or side member 10. One of thehorizontal members, 9, as shown in the drawings, is tubular at its innerend portiomas at 11, which tubular portion is constructed to receive theend 12 of the opposite horizontal member in sliding or telescopicrelation, a setscrew 13 being let through the tubular member to engagethe member sleeved therein to rigidly connect said members 9 toconstitute lOO the cross-piece of the bow. It will be seen that byslidingly connecting the horizontal members and providing a means forsecuring them rigidly together the width of the bow may be adjusted tosuit carriage-tops of different widths.

Pivotally connected to the side members 10 of the rear bow of theattachment are the lower ends of the side members 1 1 of the front bow,which are formed at their upper ends with inwardly-extending horizontalmembers, one of which is hollow or tubular in form to receive theopposite horizontal member, which is slidingly disposed in said tubularportion and is rigidly secured thereto by means of a set-screw, saidfront bow being a substantial duplicate of the rear bow alreadydescribed. The upper ends of the side members of both the front and rearbows are connected by braces 15 and 16, pivotally joined, as at 17.

Stretched upon the horizontal members of the front and rear bows is theflexible shield or cover 18, which may be of any desirable waterproofmaterial, which will effectually prevent the entrance of rain or snowinto the vehicle.

When the attachment is arranged in position to be operated as astorm-shield, the rear bow is swung on its pivot on the bracket 8 untilit assumes a position coinciding with the front bow of the buggy-topproper and as near flush therewith as possible in order to prevent therain from entering between the shield and the top. The front bow of theattachment which, as it is perceived from the above description, takenin connection with the drawings, is pivotally arranged with relation tothe rear bow, so that it may be swung away therefrom to rest upon thedashboard, as shown in Fig. 1, to place the shield in position toprotect the occupant of the vehicle from the elements, or itmay be movedinto close relation to the rear bow to collapse the shield to permit theoccupant to alight from the vehicle, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. I

Under certain conditions it is obvious that circumstances or necessitywill require that the attachment be dispensed with, and in order to doaway with it as a shield without detaching it bodily from thevehicle-top I construct the side members 10 and 14 of the bows of theshield in a novel manner in order that the length thereof may beshortened to permit the attachment to be swung rearwardly to assume aposition within the top, as shown in Fig. 6, when the top is raisedwithout engaging the under side of the top or thrown entirely back inrear of the seat when the top is lowered.

In order to provide for the shortening of the side members 10 and 14c ofthe bows, Iconstruct the same of sections, which are so arranged withrelation to each other and may be so connected and released fromconnection as to form a break-joint, as shown. Each of the side members10 and 14 comprises a lower member or lever 19, the lower end of whichconstitutes the lower end of the side members, which, as above stated,is pivoted to the bracket 8 and at a point adjacent its upper end isprovided with a handle portion 20 and a head 21, formed withan opening22. Pivoted to the member 19 at a point intermediate its ends is thelower end of the upper sections of the side member of the bow, as at 23,which member is also formed with an opening 24, arranged to registerwith the opening 22 in the head of the lever 19 when said member andlever are in longitudinal alinement, said apertures being arranged toreceive a pin 25, carried by the end of a spring-latch 26, mounted inthe side members, which pin serves to rigidly connect the sections ofthe members, which is the position the said sections are placed in whenthe attachment is employed as a shield, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

When it is desired to dispense with the shield, the pins 24, carried bythe latches 26, are withdrawn from the openings in the sections of theside members, which releases said sections from their rigid connectionand permits them to have a relative movementthat is, the upper sectionsmay be moved downwardly-the sections 10 swinging on their pivots attheir lower ends and the upper sections on their pivots on the sections14:, so that the distance between the top portion of each bow and thepivot on the bracket 8 is diminished sufiiciently to permit theattachment to swing rearwardly without scraping the under side of thetop.

To prevent the rear bow from falling forwardly and downwardly when theshield is in the position shown in Fig. 1, I provide detachablebracing-slats 27, the ends of which are connected to the horizontalmembers of the bows in any suitable manner. I have shown them as securedin position by means of spring-latches 28, carrying pins 29, adapted toengage openings in the ends of said slats. These slats not only serve tohold said bows from moving toward each other, but also support theflexible shield against the force of the wind and storm.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. In a storm-shield attachment, the combination ofbows pivoted together, the horizontal members of said bows beingadjustable, to regulate the width of the attachment, and a shieldcarried by the bows.

2. The combination with a vehicle-top, of a storm-shield attachmentcomprising bows pivoted together, the side members of said bows beingvertically adjustable independently of said top, and a shield carried bythe bows.

3. In a storm-shield attachment, the combination of bows pivotedtogether, the side members being composed of pivotally-connectedsections to permit of vertical adjustment of IIO the bows, means torigidly connect the sections and a shield carried by the sections.

4. In a storm-shield attachment, the combination of bows pivotedtogether, the horizontal members of said bows being adjustable toregulate the width of the attachment, and the side members of the bowsbeing adjustable vertically and a shield carried by the bows.

5. In a storm-shield attachment, the combination of bows pivotedtogether, the horizontal members of said bows being adjustable toregulate the width of the attachment and the side members being composedof pivotallyconnected sections to permit of the vertical adjustment ofthe bows, means to rigidly eonnect the sections and a shield carried bythe bows.

6. In a storm-shield attachment, the combination of bows pivotedtogether and having adjustable horizontal members, andverticallyadjustable side members, and a shield carried by the bows.

7. In a storm-shield attachment, the combination of bows pivotedtogether and having adjustable horizontal members, and side memberscomprising sections pivotally connected, latches to lock the sectionstogether, and a shield carried by the bows.

8. In a storm-shield attachment, the combination of bows pivotedtogether, the side members of said bows comprising sections pivotedtogether and having alining apertures and a latch to engage saidapertures to rigidly connect said sections, and a shield carried by thebows.

9. In a storm'shield attachment, the combination with :front and rearbows and the shield carried thereby, of slats detachably connecting saidbows.

10. In astorm-shield attachment, the combination with front and rearbows and the shield carried thereby, of slats detachably connecting saidbows and means to lock the slats in position.

11. In a storm-shield attachment the eombination of front and rear bowscomprising side members, each of which consists of a lever pivoted to asupport and formed with an apertured upper end, an upper section pivotedat its lower end at a point intermediate the ends of said lever, andformed with an aperture to register with an aperturein the head thereof,a latch engaging said apertures to lock the sections together, the upperterminals of said upper sections being formed with inwardly-projectingarms, one of which is tubular to receive the opposite arm and means tosecure saidarms together, and a shield carried by the bows.

In testimony whereof I a'lfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM H. ZEHNER.

Witnesses V ELMER Woomnn, AARON Nns'rnn.

